In recent years, the integration of a semiconductor integrated circuit (hereinafter simply referred to as “IC”) has been further highly integrated, and accordingly, in applying an IC in a product, it is usually the case that a preliminary testing inclusive of a function testing, a burn-in testing and the like, is conducted prior to embedding the IC into a product. And, it is generally the case that the ICs are transported, and preliminarily tested in such a state that a transportation framework is mounted thereon with a plurality of semiconductor transporting and testing fixtures, each of which has an IC received therein.
Therefore, it is essential to secure a connection of an IC to be preliminarily tested and a semiconductor test device (hereinafter simply referred to as “IC tester”) through the semiconductor transporting and testing fixture and a testing socket, so that the preliminary testing is rapidly conducted. Further, it is also essential to prevent the IC from dropping off the semiconductor transporting and testing fixture, because in a case that the IC drops off the semiconductor transporting and testing fixture during a transportation process, the IC tester must be stopped for manual repair action, thereby degrading an operating rate of the IC tester.
There have already been proposed various semiconductor transporting and testing fixtures applicable for a preliminary testing of ICs (See Patent Document 1 and 2).
To be more specific, a semiconductor transporting and testing fixture having a frame-shaped main body and disposed therein with a gripping mechanism (retaining latch) for gripping the IC by an upper surface and a bottom surface is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Further, a semiconductor transporting and testing fixture having a frame-shaped main body, disposed therein with a gripping mechanism (retaining latch) for gripping the IC by an upper surface and provided on a bottom portion of the main frame with a device sustaining portion for sustaining the IC is disclosed in Patent Document 2.